handgun

[ hand-guhn ]

/ ˈhændˌgʌn /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR handgun ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any firearm that can be held and fired with one hand; a revolver or a pistol.

Words nearby handgun

handfast, handfasting, handfeed, handful, handgrip, handgun, handheld, handheld computer, handhold, handholding, handicap

Origin of handgun

First recorded in 1400–50, handgun is from the late Middle English word handgone. See hand, gun¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for handgun

In states that require a background check for every handgun sale, 38 percent fewer women are shot to death by intimate partners.
Use Your Vote to Take Stand Against Domestic Violence|Shannon Watts|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He qualified as “sharpshooter” on the M1911A1-45 ACP handgun in 1994.
The (Sloppy) Swift-Boating of Michigan Democrat Gary Peters|Tim Mak|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When the only option for carrying a handgun is to carry concealed, it unfairly discriminates against women and professionals.
A Gun Owner Speaks: My Case for Open Carry|CJ Grisham|June 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At 1:52 pm, Platt received a phone call informing him that a handgun had been used in the killing of German.
The Teen Love Letters that Led to a Tragic Murder-Suicide in Florida|Michael Daly|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“The argument escalated and Frazier pulled out a handgun and shot the host in the arm,” Gillespie said.
Another Fatal Shooting in Las Vegas|John L. Smith|October 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was feeling too cheerful to use his rightful advantage over them, and decided to use a handgun, since they had nothing better.
World Without War|E. G. von Wald
But if you have ever fired a handgun, you don't even think about recoil.
Warren Commission (3 of 26): Hearings Vol. III (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
"Ewyo dies if I'm touched," said Revel coolly, pointing the handgun at the squire's belly.
The Buttoned Sky|Geoff St. Reynard
Homer came to his feet and handgun in fist made a dash for the front entrance.
Black Man's Burden|Dallas McCord Reynolds
The first portable arms were the cannon and handgun, both adjusted to very heavy, straight butt-ends and very difficult to handle.
The Spell of Belgium|Isabel Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for handgun

handgun

/ (ˈhændˌɡʌn) /

noun

a firearm that can be held, carried, and fired with one hand, such as a pistol

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

handgun

noun

Words related to handgun

Words nearby handgun

Origin of handgun

Examples from the Web for handgun

British Dictionary definitions for handgun

noun